Do your graphic design (or applique on a letter) before cutting
your sail pieces to size per the sketch. This is the finish size
of the kites. You will bind the edges with black strips instead
of folding them in for a hem. Sail edges do not need to be hot cut.

Use a true "white" fabric for making kites with letters and numbers.
Note: the "natural" sold by North Cloth is not as white from Texlon
or Baimbridge.

Hot cut 3/4" wide strips of 3/4oz. black nylon for edge binding.
Fold them in half and crease them to give a 3/8" wide black border
on the sails. Cut lengths an inch or so longer than the sides of
the sail, Slip fold over the sail edges and sew them on using whatever
stitch you like. We use the triple zigzag, but straight stitch or
normal zig zag works fine too. If you are not comfortable about
keeping the sail pushed tight inside the folded binding while sewing,
draw pencil lines on the sail 3/8" in from the edges so you can
see that binding is going on straight.

Trim the excess end of the binding with scissors where you put
the next piece over it and hot cut the final overhanging ends after
all four sides are on.

TailCut
a strip of black 3/4oz. nylon 1-1/2" wide x 41" long Single fold
hem it all four sides so it finishes + 1" wide. Fold it in the center,
just a little bit crooked.

Spar Pockets and Assembly
Hot cut 2 spar pockets from a 3/4" wide piece of black 4oz. Dacron.
If you don't have that, fold up 3/4oz. nylon three layers thick
for pocket material. The top pocket piece is 1-1/4" long and bottom
piece is 2" long.

The pockets are created by folding the pieces lengthwise - and
not quite in the middle - before sewing them onto the kite. Sew
3 sides leaving the short flap open. Sew the tail in between the
bottom pocket and the sail.

Finish up by installing 3/16" wood dowels with ends rounded over
with sandpaper. Ours have turned out 17-7/8" long to be snug without
distorting the sails.